The problem is that not all are incompetent. Some are very competent. And like Stalin's purges of the 1930s, if you got rid of the good with the bad, you'd be stuck with a huge hole to fill.
The current political thinking seems to follow the mantra of "accountability". There is a push to standardize tests and apply them to all schools, as some great measuring stick of their worth. Those on the bottom will be lobbed off, while those on top will be rewarded.
Problem is, at least in CA, is the incredible pressure that puts on the schools, administration, and teachers. So much so, that the TEST because the end all, and the EDUCATION suffers. At our local elementary school, the teachers are almost TERRIFIED of the STAR test, because they know that their school and their performance will hinge on it. So, they start teaching to the TEST and not the ciriculum. Also, the pass the pressure to the kids; a lot of kids are becoming 'testphobic' because of the pressure.
I don't know the answer. As an engineer, I see incredible value in getting some hard qualitative numbers, so that we can compare and achieve improvement. But having a single, standardized test seems to be a flawed mechanism. I certainly don't want to see us end up with Japanese style schools. With all their accomplishments, I believe they distort the psyche of the children.
Tough problem. By the way, it gets worse with private schools, as there would be different agendas and ciriculums at each school. How could you tell if you child was getting a good education, relative to other schools? Maybe a standardized test across ALL schools. It would be a shame to find out that your childs education was 2nd rate only when they get their SAT scores.
Don't have an answer...other thoughts? |
